Jimmy Carter dies.

[londonbridge]

Former US president Jimmy Carter dies aged 100:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ce98937nrqrt

• Former US President Jimmy Carter has died aged 100, his foundation has announced
• The Carter Center says he passed away on Sunday afternoon in Plains, Georgia

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Whatever anyone thinks of his presidency or his politics he was a thoroughly decent man.

 

[Gloster]

A decent man who became President at a time when politics had fallen into the hands of the grifters and dogmatists. And a man who continued to try to do good after leaving the White House rather than following the gravy train.

One fears to see what tactful and sympathetic comments the president to be will make.

 

[brad465]

You don't get many in US politics like him anymore. RIP

On a side note, he seemed to redefine the bounds of hospice care, having been receiving it for nearly 2 years, well above the average of just a few months (his late wife officially received it for just 2 days, though had dementia for longer than that).

 

[mikeg]

A decent man indeed. Just a shame about his deregulation programme , but way better than anyone who followed. My recollection however is that he is deeply unpopular in the USA. People say they want principled politicians, but in reality they’re lying

 

[najaB]

People say they want principled politicians, but in reality they’re lying

They want principled politicians, as long as the principles align with theirs.

 

[mikeg]

They want principled politicians, as long as the principles align with theirs.

Not sure that's true. If so people would have felt the golden age of British politics was the May-Corbyn rivalry, or Thatcher v Foot, but my understanding is attitudes were largely negative at the time.

 

[Ashley Hill]

He was the first President that I was aware of (I don’t remember Ford). At least he lived to a ripe old age RIP.

 

[Purple Train]

The closest to a political hero I have among American politicians. We shall not see his like again: neither frills, nor airs, nor graces, just a thoroughly principled man doing his best. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

 

[Thirteen]

Sad although not unexpected and TBH getting to 100 is no mean feat!

 

[nanstallon]

A thoroughly decent President, in a very difficult time for the USA. The recent defeat in Vietnam, the Islamist revolution in Iran (which even made the Shah look not too bad!), the civil war and Soviet involvement in Afghanistan, hotting up of the Cold War and fascist regimes all over Latin America of which Chile and Argentina were only the worst - he did his best, and his memory stands high above the crap that we have now. Indeed, the biggest danger to the world is the extremely low calibre of leaders.

 

[jfollows]

The fact that he made it clear that he wanted to live long enough to vote Democrat in the recent election, against Donald Trump, doesn't surprise me. He achieved his objective, if not the outcome he desired.

 

[Trackman]

The first newspaper I ever delivered had Jimmy Carter on the front page after winning the election. Don't know why that's stuck with me.
I remember at the time the newspapers and TV kept banging on about his peanut farming for some reason, I suppose to show he came from a humble background.

 

[dorsetdesiro]

RIP

Was he that president who committed a faux-pas by kissing the Queen Mother?

 

[nanstallon]

RIP

Was he that president who committed a faux-pas by kissing the Queen Mother?

If so, then he rises even higher in my estimation. He was never sycophantic, and if he upset some British stuffed shirt, good on him!

 

[Gloster]

RIP

Was he that president who committed a faux-pas by kissing the Queen Mother?

I believe that it was he. For that he seems to have earned the QM’s lifelong dislike, if not something stronger.

 

[nanstallon]

I believe that it was he. For that he seems to have earned the QM’s lifelong dislike, if not something stronger.

How pathetic.

 

[Gloster]

How pathetic.

I think it was that she felt that no one should have done so except George VI.

 

[nanstallon]

I think it was that she felt that no one should have done so except George VI.

I expect that President Carter only delivered a little peck; hardly a big deal. But I wasn't there, so can only surmise!

 

[najaB]

How pathetic.

She was kissed by someone she didn't want to be kissed by. Sounds pretty fair to be upset, really.

 

[brad465]

Obama once talked over the national anthem at the state banquet he was invited to, which is also frowned upon, even though I believe it was set off early by accident. So Carter was certainly not the last US President to do something controversial in relation to the Royal Family.

 

[nanstallon]

Obama once talked over the national anthem at the state banquet he was invited to, which is also frowned upon, even though I believe it was set off early by accident. So Carter was certainly not the last US President to do something controversial in relation to the Royal Family.

The British national anthem is such a dreary dirge that I can't blame him. I think that Trump put his arm out to the Queen a few years ago, which is another no-no.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Indeed, the biggest danger to the world is the extremely low calibre of leaders.

Indeed, the UK has pretty much bucked the trend in this respect by turning the Prime Minister's office into one in which you need to be an Oxbridge graduate to get in.

 

[Gloster]

Indeed, the UK has pretty much bucked the trend in this respect by turning the Prime Minister's office into one in which you need to be an Oxbridge graduate to get in.

The one does not exclude the other: you can get some pretty low calibre Oxbridge graduates. They may have passed the exams, but they have learnt nothing (except self-belief).